What can I say about a banker who retired early to write books coining "The American Dream" during the Great Depression? I don't really know. His characterization of the first British settlers as fiercely independent seems out-of-keeping with their status as fully incorporated indentured servants, and, well, Brits. In fact, I can't this book listed by its name, "The Americans", so the fact that it was published in 1943 and dropped out of sight suggests that it may be praising British origins of the U.S. as support for WWII. But here are some interesting things I've learned or heard again so far:

-- The British really sent Polish and other foreign settlers to the first colonnies in Virginia just to find new sources of trees for their shipping demands. There were apparently no trees in the U.S.

-- Much moving around in Virginia was done strictly by navigating its many rivers by boat.

-- London transportation at the same time or later was done mainly by boat also? True?